Rizzo’s new deal will pay him $34 million over the next two seasons, with a $17 million club option or a $6 million buyout for 2025, per a source. Rizzo, who turned 33 in August, hit .224/.338/.480 in 130 games this season for the Yankees, his first full campaign in New York after being acquired by the Cubs before the trade deadline. 2021. A natural fit for Yankee Stadium’s cozy right field terrace, Rizzo hit a career high with 32 home runs, driving in 75 runs while providing much-needed lefty balance in the lineup and a reliable glove at first base. “It was everything we could have hoped for,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said recently. “He was an amazing person at our club, an amazing teammate, an amazing leader, very productive on the pitch. I think so [he’s] too tired to play for the Yankees. He handles everything that comes with playing here as one of the top players and leaders so well.” Rizzo’s park-adjusted OPS+ of 131 put him in the top 30 for 2022 and made him the second-most productive hitter in a Yankees offense that has struggled to find consistency behind Aaron Judge. Rizzo and Judge have developed a close friendship during their time together. The Astros are also reportedly interested in Rizzo, a career .265 hitter in 12 major league seasons who won the World Series with the Cubs in 2016. A three-time All Star while in Chicago, he posted an above-average OPS+ ( above of 100) in 11 straight seasons and has topped the 20-year mark in each of his last nine full seasons (a shortened 2020 campaign aside). Rizzo will enter 2023 with a career slash line of .265/.366/.481, needing 17 more at-bats to reach the .300 mark. Defensively, Rizzo won four NL Gold Glove Awards at first base from 2016 to ’20, but has averaged -5 outs since joining the Yankees. Speaking Tuesday at the MLB owners’ meetings in New York, Yankees general partner Hal Steinbrenner indicated that Judge’s free agency would not necessarily preclude the club from pursuing a free agent like Rizzo. “Am I going to make moves before we can, I think, sign Aaron?” Steinbrenner said. “Yeah, that won’t stop me from signing other people. We have to make the moves. It’s all about who gets off the board. Some guys are going to come off the board sooner than others, and if it’s someone we feel we need, then I have to make the decision to continue to improve the club and not just hold on until we figure Aaron out. While Rizzo returns as the starting first baseman, the rest of the Yankees’ outfield could change before Opening Day. Josh Donaldson is expected to return as the third baseman, with Steinbrenner praising the veteran’s defense as well as a work ethic he said is “second to none.” Steinbrenner expressed concerns about DJ LeMahieu’s health from a lingering toe injury on his right foot that limited his productivity and availability in the second half of the season. “It’s not an ordinary injury,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not a normal thing that we see in every team every year. I don’t know enough about it. They didn’t tell us the surgery was over. The question is how long after surgery? We’re not there.” “As for the little ones… [Oswaldo] Including Cabrera, who was a big surprise when he came — we’re going with little guys,” Steinbrenner said. “Some of the veteran players would like to see that, because I’ve talked to them.” MLB.com’s Betelhem Ashame and Andrew Simon contributed to this story
